Dead Trees and Storms

  Two weeks post op. from bi-lateral knee surgery, I was recovering at my cousin’s home on Lake Chemung. It was early spring and thunderstorms were predicted in the area. That night, while sleeping we hear this huge crack and crash, we thought the house was going to fall unto us. It was a dead tree and it fell right onto my car and also damaged my cousin’s home as well.
We had known that there were some dead trees in neighbor’s lot behind us for awhile. My cousin had already removed several from his property over the last couple of years. It is amazing the amount of damage can be caused by these trees. My car was completely totaled and the house had siding damage that needed to be replaced. The total cost of damage was well over $15,000.

I can now see the importance of assessing the trees on your own lot as well as your neighbors and proactively working with them to have them taken care of well before they fall! The liability and risk it just way too large. Luckily the tree didn’t directly fall on the home and we were not in the back upstairs bedroom. For peace of mind, take care of your dead trees before the next storm hits!
Now I am driving around in a Saturn Vue. So if you see me around town Honk and say HI!